"They were able to see what was happening, just before it happened and were able to get out of the way, and so thank God they we're able to do that because that was a very, very dangerous situation," said Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman.

Chapman said nationally, about a dozen officers die each year getting hit on the side of the road.

"A lot of people don't understand how dangerous it is to just be an officer and do a traffic stop on somebody," Sheriff Chapman said.